THE BIRDS OF SINGAPORE ISLAND 
"A brief gflancc at the avtfanim of the various otlier islands 
found off the coasts of the Peninsula will be helpful in enabling 
a slig-Iit comparison to be made with that of these nearer Sinqra- 
pore. Terutati Island, the Langkawi Islands and Pulan Jarak 
off the west coast and the Perhentians, Redangs and Tioman 
Island o0 the east coast as well as many others have all had 
their bird life investigated, althoug^h cnriously enouj^h Pcnani^ 
has been very neglected of late years. Many of these have 
their own special attractions, 
**In the Lang-kawi group species either not known in the 
south of the Peninsula or only met with sporadically in that 
region are met with. Such are the wattled lapwing (Sarco- 
grmimms atronuchaHs), the big brown-winged kingfisher 
(RhantphaltyoH amauropiera) Swinhce's bee-cater (sMclittO' 
phagus ieschermtifli sxvinho'i), the Burmese scaly- be Hied 
woodpecker. (Ccchnts vindanus) the Indian black-headed oriole 
{Onohis rucianocfpisalus) and the Burmese yellow-breasted 
sunbird (Cyrtostomus fiamniaxillaries), some of them at about 
southern limit of their range. Here also the beautiful stork, 
Xenorhynclius asiatictis, is found breeding. Hornbills of 
several species arc common and in the lime-stone caves two 
species of the tiny CoUocaUa swifts breed. In the winter 
interesting fly-catchers and other land birds are met with as 
migrants. 
"Mr. H. C. Rohinsou fjournal F.M.S. Mus. 1917, 
vol. vii. p. 129) says of Langkawi : — 'It will be seen that the 
avifauna presents the same general characters as those of all 
the other groups of islands in the vicinity of the Malay Penin- 
sula, namely, a great scarcity of all the more strictly jungle 
frequenting species belonging to the great family of Timaliidje ' 
and the total absence of Euryl^emidas, though we find a few 
species of Trogons, Barbets and Woodpeckers, orders which 
are entirely absent frotn the islands off the coast of Pahang on 
the east side of the Peninsula, these islands being smaller in 
e;ctent and separated from the mainland by broader stretches 
of deeper water. Owing to the fact that our visit took place 
in the winter months, migratory flycatchers, thrushes and 
[JO] 
